Manufacture of golf-balls.



No. 696,886. Patented Apr. I, 1902.

MANUFMH'UB E 0 F G 0 L F A L L S.

A lication" v (No Model.)

I INVENTURi WITNESSES: I I E.KEMF5HALL.

EiY Hi5 ATTURNEY.

anion.

ELEAZER KEMPSI-IALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KEMPSI-IALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE OF GOLF-BALLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 696,886, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed November 23, 1901. Serial No. 83,355. (No model.)

To (0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELnAzns KEMPSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Golf-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to playing-balls, and especially to the variety thereof used in the game of golf; and its objects are to improve the construction and increase the durability of the ball and also to reduce the cost of its manufacture.

In my pending application, filed September 25, 1901, Serial No. 76,814, is illustrated a ball constructed with a celluloid shell and filled with gutta-percha, which is held under compression by the shell, the constant elastic outward pressure of the core tending to restore the spherical shape of the ball when distorted by a blow, so that the core not only affords a yielding backing for the shell, but also cooperates therewith to enhance the liveliness or flying power of the ball. In said application I illustrate the shell as made of hemispherical segments,which when hot are compressed over a core, the edges of the segments being welded or fused together and forming a complete shell, the compressing and heating operation serving a threefold purpose-viz. to weld the segments together, to solidify and toughen the celluloid,so that it becomes practically indestructible, and also to place the core under compression. In producing balls in accordance with the invention set forth in said application care is taken to form a perfect weld at the joint of the segments, so as to insure that the shell will not split open at the joint when subjected to severe usage in the game. Care is also taken to. prevent the mass confined within the shell-segments from squeezing out between the edges thereof at the compressing operation, since the presence of gutta-percha upon the edges tends to interfere with the welding thereof. It is also found that the heating to which the green segments are subjected at the compressing operation tends to liberate or volatilize a portion of their substances upon the inner side of the shell,

where it may subsequently react and tend to weaken or deteriorate portions of the shell itself. Moreover, the raw celluloid must first be reduced to sheet form and then cut up into sections and then formed into shell-segments, all of which operations incur expense.

The purpose of my present improvements is to make a seamless shell and not only obviate the necessity of carefully welding the thin edges of the segments together, but also producing a shell which is not liable to split open at the joint, since there is no joint. I also save the cost of first forming the raw celluloid compound into sheets, then cutting the sheets into disks, and then cutting them so as to form segments. Moreover, I minimize the liability of any portion of the celluloid compound volatilizing within the shell, so that injury to the latter from this source is practically eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a view, partly broken away,'of an unfinished ball. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating the condition of the ball at an early stage in its manufacture. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the ball at a later stage, but before it arrives at the Fig. 1 condition;

and Fig. 4 shows the ball compressed to size in heating and finishing dies.

In the several views similar parts are designated by similar letters of reference.

I prefer to produce a compressed central piece or filling A of the required size and shape by means of suitable dies. This central piece is preferably somewhat too bulky for the capacity of the finished shell. Upon this center piece I apply a coating of material B, as at Fig. 2, said coating completely enveloping the core A and consisting of a thick or dense solution of celluloid or composition thereof which is in such a plastic or liquid condition that it may be spread over the core in a substantially even and somewhat thin layer. In practice I find that if this coating is one one-hundredth of an inch, more or less, in thickness it may answerthe purpose. The coating is then allowed to dry to a sufficient extent so that it can be handled safely. This drying effects a preliminary seasoning of the coating material. It

will be understood that the material dried out or evaporated from this coating cannot at the subsequent heating andfinishing operation work into the interior of the ball to the detriment thereof. When said coating B has become sufficiently hardened, I apply a second coating 0, Fig. 3, over the ball, which in turn is allowed to dry until it attains the required firmness. I then apply a third coating D, which is likewise allowed to dry. In this manner one ormore additional layers may be successively applied, according to the style of ball in hand. In practice I find that three layers or at the most four layers produce a shell of satisfactory qualities when the ball is intended for use in the game of golf, provided that the shell so built up is supported upon a center or core of suitable material and having the proper firmness. The ball thus built up is placed in finishing-dies E and F, Fig. 4, and subjected to both heat and compression. In practice I prefer that the ball when placed in the dies shall be somewhat oversize, so that as the die-sections are brought together they compress the ball,

thereby effecting a twofold purposetirst, to

compress the core, so that it may always exert an outward elastic pressure upon the finished shell, and, second, to subject the materialof the shell to compression as wellas heat, thereby solidifying the material of the shell itself, so that it may have the qualities of resistance, firmness, indestructibility, and springiness,which are desirable in a golf-ball. The heat and pressure may be applied for a considerable period, so that the ball may be well seasoned.

The heating of the dies by softening the coatings B, G, and D not only insures the kneading or welding of such coatings into one integral shell G, but also facilitates the flowing of the material, so that the shape of the dies is imparted to the finished ball. After being removed from the press the dies may be allowed to cool before the balls are taken out, so that the latter when removed are suificiently hardened to retain their shape.

Thus it will be seen that the shell is made without any seam or joint, and hence is well adapted at all points to withstand shocks from the blow of an implement or from being driven against a stone. At the same time the ball is not subject to internal deterioration from the presence of gas or other matter escaping into the interior of the ball during the heating. Moreover, the necessity for first rolling the celluloid into sheets and then cutting the sheets into disks and cupping them is avoided, and the trouble and expense of securing a perfect weld between the shelljoints is also avoided.

One important advantage of my celluloid shell resides in its quality of retaining its original color throughout all the severe usage which it receives in a game. Another advantage resides in its springiness, so that it 1s of material value in imparting liveliness to the ball or increasing its flying or driving power. It imparts to the ball a solidity, stiffness, and springiness which it has heretofore been found impracticable to secure.

My compressed core gives the shell a good backing at all points and tends to prevent such indentations of the shell by an implement as would cause the shell to crack.

My celluloid shell is not only practically indestructible, but is at the same time so smooth that it offers little resistance to the air in its flight. It drives farther than any ball heretofore produced, while on account of its slipperiness it easily travels through the grass and is hence excellently adapted to the game.

My shell overcomes the defect of prior golfballs of being easily cut by a blow from an implement. It is practically indestructible from such causes. It cannot be knocked out of shape, as is the case with former golf-balls. It does not succumb to the heat of the hottest summer day, whereas prior gulf-balls are softened and spoiled by warm weather.

I believe I am the first either to inclose a core in a seamless celluloid shell or to compress such shell upon the core or to make a relatively thin shell of a number of celluloid layers successively applied thereto and fused or welded together.

It will be understood that the resistance of the central mass at'the compressing operation furnishes a substantial support for sustaining the relatively thin shell against the pressure of the forming-dies and cooperates with the latter in producing the desired density or firm, tough, and springy texture of the shell.

In using the term celluloid I refer to celluloid compounds generally and do not limit myself to any particular variety of such compound nor to any particular grade or mixture of celluloid composition.

I usually pebble or score the exterior surface of golf-balls, the interior surface of the dies being provided with depressions at H for this purpose. In billiard-ba1ls, to which some features of my invention are applicable, the outer surface should usually be a smooth and true sphere.

Variations in construction, material, method,and other particulars may be resorted to within the scope of mypresentimprovements.

The improved playing-ball herein set forth is made the subject-matter of my pending application, Serial No. 83,356, filed November 23, 1901.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A process in the manufacture of playingballs, consisting in forming a core, applying a plastic or fluid coating to the core, and permanently compressing said coating upon the core.

2. A process in making golf-balls, consisting in forming a yielding core, applying a plastic or fluid coating ,to the core, drying said coating, heating and simultaneously subjectpressing said coating to an extent to compress said core, and hardening said coating when so compressed.

l. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in coating 21- yielding core with cellulord solution, and effecting a hardening and compression of said coating so as to form a shell upon the core.

5. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in coating a core with plastic celluloid, then drying said coating, and then subjecting the coating to heat and compression.

6. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in coating a core of gutta-percha with celluloid compound, drying said coating, and

subjecting the same to heat and compression to an extent to compress said core.

7. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in applying successive layers of plastic material upon a, relatively soft yielding core and then hardening and welding together said layers to form a permanent substantial shell harder than said core.

8. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in applying successive layers of plastic celluloid upon a yielding core, subjecting said layers to simultaneous compression and heat, and maintainingthe compression until the celluloid hardens.

9. A process in making playing-halls, consisting in applying successive layers of plastic or fluid material upon a'soft core, causing said layers to dry, and then subjecting them to heat and sufficient compressionto reduce the bulk of said core, and maintaining the compression until said plastic material hardens into a permanent shell.

10. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in applying to a yielding core a plurality of layers one after another of fluid or plastic material, drying one layer before another is applied, subjecting the Whole to heat and compression to an extent to compress said core and also to cause said layers to weld, and maintaining the compression until the shell hardens.

11. A process in making playing-balls, consisting in applying to a core, consisting at sisting in applying to a yieldingcore a sucleast partially of gutta-percha, a pluralityof layers, one after another, of plastic material; drying or partially curing one layer before another is applied; subjecting the whole to heat so as to render said layers plastic and also to compressionso as to cause said layers to weld; and maintaining the compression until the shell hardens.

12. A process in making playing-balls, con- 5 cession of layers of celluloid solution, causing one layer to dry before applying the next, subjecting the whole to the action of'heat and compression, and maintaining the compression until the celluloid-cools and hardens.

13. A process in making playing-balls, consisting-in applying to a core of gutta-percha a succession of layersof celluloid solution, causing one layer to dry before the next is applied,- and then subjecting the whole to the action of heat and compression.

14. The process of making playing-balls, consisting in producing a center piece or filling ofguttapercha, said center piecelbeing somewhat too bulky for thec'apacity of the finished shell, applyingthereto athick solution. of celluloid in a substantially even layer of one one-hundredth of an inch, more or less, in thickness, allowing the coating to dryto such an extent that it can be handled safely, applying 'a second coating of like material and allowing it to dry or harden, applying a third coating of likematerial and if desired one orimore additional layers, allowing the third and other coating or coatings todry or harden, thus making an oversize ball,';sub jecting the ball to heat and simultaneous compression in dies, and subsequently allowing the ball to cool in the dies; said coatings or layers being Welded into an integral shell, which is thus condensed, toughened and stiffened, and the core being placed under a compression by the shell. 15. A process-in making playing balls, consisting informing upon a yielding core a multiple-ply shell of plastic material, then heating said shell to renderit plastic throughout, then compressingsaid shell while heated so as to weld the plies together into an integral shell upon said core, and maintaining the compression until the shell hardens by cooling;

ELEAZER KEMPSI-IALL.

WVitnesses:

FREnJ. DOLE, B. O. STIOKNEY. 

